Do animals understand numbers? Can a fish really count?
In Can Fish Count?: What Animals Reveal about Our Uniquely Mathematical Mind, leading cognitive neuroscientist Brian Butterworth explores one of the most intriguing questions in science: whether the ability to understand numbers is uniquely human or shared across the animal kingdom.
Drawing on decades of research in psychology, neuroscience, and animal behaviour, Butterworth reveals how many species possess remarkable numerical abilities. From lions deciding whether to fight rival groups, to bees navigating to food sources, to fish choosing the safest shoal, animals throughout the natural world rely on numerical perception to survive.
Through engaging storytelling and cutting-edge science, Butterworth demonstrates that mathematics is not simply a human invention. Instead, it may be part of a deep evolutionary system shared by many living creatures.
Combining fascinating animal studies with insights from neuroscience, Can Fish Count? transforms how we understand both mathematics and the natural world.
““What I like best about this fascinating book is the detail. Brian Butterworth doesn’t just tell us stories of animals with numerical abilities: he tells us about the underlying science. Elegantly written and a joy to read.”
““Full of thought-provoking studies and animal observations.”
““Enlightening and entertaining.”
In this fascinating exploration of animal intelligence, you’ll discover:
• How lions assess rival groups before deciding whether to fight
• Why frogs use numerical signals during mating competition
• How bees count landmarks when navigating
• How fish choose the safest shoal by comparing group sizes
• Why birds such as jackdaws track numbers when mobbing predators
• What animal number sense reveals about the human mathematical brain
Butterworth shows that number sense may be one of the most fundamental cognitive abilities shared across species.
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